Building-block



(No Model.)

E. G. DURANT.

BUILDING BLOCK.

N0.423,914. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDVARD lGr. DURANT, OF RACINE, IVISCONSIN.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 423,914, dated March 25, 1890.

Application iiled January 22,1889. Serial No. .297,117. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. DUEANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raeine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to building-blocks; and it consists in a novel construction of the same, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The obj ect of the invention is to produce a wall that shall be hollow from top to bottom, and which shall be ornamental in appearance and strong.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the manner of building up a wall, using my improved blocks; Fig. 2, a perspective View of the parts separated; Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, longitudinal and. trans- Verse sectional Views; Fig. 5, a sectional View through a wall, showing the addition of studding; Fig. 6, a view illustrating the manner of securing window and door frames in position, and Fig. '7 a View illustrating a block designed particularly for inner walls.

I wish to state here that no broad claim is made to hollow building-blocks, as I am aware that these have before been devised; butI believe that the form of block herein shown and about to be described is new with me and possesses material advantages over those heretofore devised.

Referring again to the drawings, A indicates the block as a whole, comprising two parts or sections B and C, which will advisably and in most cases be duplicates. The block is divided `or separates, preferably, though not necessarily, on a vertical line extending lengthwise of the saine, as shown, and the two parts B C thereof will advisably be tied together or connected by means of a tie D, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 6. The up- 'per and lower and the end faces of the block will advisably be made hat and smooth, so as to enable the latter to be laid in mortar or cement after the manner of vbrick but, if desired, either of lthe surfaces may be roughened slightly in order that the mortar or cement may act after the manner of a key. These block-sections B G are made hollow and are preferably out away on their meeting edges, so as. to leave openings through the block from end to end or from top to bottom, or both, and it will be seen upon reference to Figs. l

` and 5 that when the blocks so cut away are placed in position one upon the other, that the wall will be hollow from top to bottom and throughout its entirelength.

The outer face of block-section B, which forms the outer face of the wall, may be made more or less ornamental in appearance, either by giving it an ornamental configuration in molding or byv painting. The inner face of block-section C, which forms the inner face of the completed wall, may likewise be rendered ornamental in form, and thus obviate the necessity of using plastering; but in case it should be desired to plaster the walls the blocks may be molded with serrations or grooves, as shown in Fig. 7. The upper and lower faces or the ends of the blocks are provided with sockets a to receive the upwardly and downwardly turned ends h of the tie D, which latter will advisably be stamped or cut from thin sheet metal. This tie holds the two sections B C together and prevents displacement of the blocks as a whole relatively to one another, the blocks being cemented together by means of mortar or cement, as usual in the use of bricks.

If it is desired to further insure the retention in place of the blocks and to secure a perfectly plumb wall, studding may be employed, as represented in Fig. 5, the studding extending vertically through the blocks Y These blocks may be made of clay, cement, or any other suitable material possessing the requisite strength, and it will be noted that a hollow Wall is produced with the 1ninimum amount of material.

The block-sections B C maybe strengthened, if desired, by means of a vertical rib shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The iianged bloclcsections herein shown will be found to possess the requisite strength, and, While they are cut away to aiford the desired air-space, they present a sufficientlybroad surface for the mortar or cement to take hold upon and foi-n1 in effect a solid block.

The blocks are thin and quickly baked, and will be found to effect a material saving over a brick wall, not only because they require less material to a given area of wall, but also because they are more easily handled.

Where plastering is applied to the wall, it will be found to dryout rapidly, as the blocks are thin.

By this construction furring or lathing may be dispensed with, and to insure dryness the joints are made as small as is consistent with safety, the blocks being iirmly held together by the ties. The best way to thus reduce the amount of mortar between the joints is to make the meeting faces corrugated or Wavelike, so that the blocks themselves shall come into contact With each other at dilferent points.

It is of course immaterial whether the parts of the block be connected on the ground prior to their insertion in the wall or connected as they are being laid in the wall.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The building-block A, comprising theparts B and C, cut away on their meeting edges, as shown, and tied together by means of the tie D. l

2. The building-block A, comprising two parts B C, having sockets a, in combination with the tie D, havin" upwardly and downwardly turned prongs '0 at each end.

In a building-block, the combination, with the section B, having a solid face and provided with laterally-extending flanges out away on their edges throughout a portion of their length, of a section C, similar in all respects to the section B, the sections B and C being connected with each other to form a hollow building-block.

4. A hollow building-block comprising two connected parts and provided With air-passages extending fronl end to end and from top to bottom.

5. The part B, (or C,) provided with a solid face, and with laterally-extendin g anges cut away on the edge throughout a portion of their length.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD G. DURANT. Witnesses:

W. J. REYNOLDS, HERBERT HoLT. 

